David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
Edward Wang's setup features an ultra-wide monitor. (Note the eye-strain-reducing BenQ Screen Bar lighting atop the monitor.) Photo: Edward Wang
Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Edward Wang, Ph.D., is an executive director with Quest Diagnostics. He took some serious time and effort making his setup a clean and powerful tool for health care work and audiovisual play. Once he diagnosed and treated a cable-management malady stemming from several separate pieces of computer and audio equipment, his setup delighted him.
A 43-inch wide curved monitor is the highlight of Duncan Shultz's gaming setup. Photo: Duncan Shultz
Brisbane, Australia-based defense contractor Duncan Shultz loves Dungeons & Dragons. And that’s the main action his Mac-mini-and-wide-screen setup sees, although he also admits to using it to work for a living. An Aasimar Sorcerer’s got to eat, after all.
“The wide screen is simply awesome for my uses,” Shultz told Cult of Mac. “Specifically in running online D&D games. I can have video conferencing, multiple browsers, streaming software and other tools all open and accessible.”
In addition to the aforementioned sorcerer character — goes by the name of Selinth, BTW — Schultz is a dungeon master for Curse of Strahd campaigns, one online and one in person. Online he uses the Roll20 website and in person he uses EncounterPlus for iOS and macOS.
In this setup, an LG curved monitor is great for work as well as movies and TV. Photo: Paul O'Toole
An IT professional who specializes in Mac and iOS home implementations probably has a leg up on the next guy when it comes to building an Apple-centric home office and man cave.
Or is it a man cave and home office? We’ll let Paul O’Toole, an IT pro from Worcestershire, England, decide that. It’s his, after all. He calls it a “sitting room,” actually.
He turned his garage into an office and movie palace, thanks to an LG 34UC99 curved monitor and a pair of HomePods running with his Mac Pro.
When you have more gear than you use, it's time to break it down to basic needs. Photo: Gareth Owen
Gareth Owen is a London-based professional sound designer whose job involves extensive CAD and acoustic modeling, but he also does sound effects work and multitrack mixing.
So he built a setup that functions as both his home office and a basic home studio.
Curtis Sponsler's iMac Pro-based setup requires both processing power and huge storage capacity for animation.. Photo: Curtis Sponsler
Miami-based Curtis Sponsler has been a 3D animator and motion graphics designer for more than 30 years. These days, that work takes copious amounts of computing power and massive storage capacity.
Fortunately, his current iMac Pro-based setup handles his needs well.
The man even built his own render farm in a closet with dedicated air conditioning to store and cool his video-rendering machines.
An array of quality refurbished devices, like iPhone 11s, await at Phonebot. Photo: Phonebot
This refurbished device post is presented by Australia-based reseller Phonebot.
Every year, millions of people around the world flock to stores and wait online for the biggest sales events of the year: end of financial year sales, Boxing Day deals and Black Friday. These beloved events have become synonymous with massive discounts. Retailers everywhere offer attractive sale prices on electronics, smartphones and a ton of other products.
For many retailers, the focus these days tends to be on electronics. So if you are in the market for a new smartphone, these sales events are an optimal time to get one. You can count on seeing some significant discounts on the latest refurbished Android and iPhone models in different storage options.
An audiophile's setup includes not just computers and a killer sound system, but sound enhancers on the walls and in corners. Photo: Ed Yoon
Ed Yoon has a job many music fans and players would covet. He’s chief operating officer of high-end electric guitar maker and distributor Strandberg Guitars USA in Riverside, California. As you might guess from his line of work, he’s a major audiophile. And his office setup makes a lot of noise to that effect.
OK, not “noise.” Beautiful music.
Even before the pandemic, Yoon had been working a lot from home to manage the company’s operations. Then, as COVID-19 spread, remote work became the norm. Unlike most of us, he needed more than just a desk and a computer with decent speakers. He had to have mind-blowing audio.
The Alogic Ultra Power 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock powers your iPhone, Airpods, Apple Watch and more. Photo: Alogic
This wireless charger post is presented by Alogic.
During the holiday season, it’s not unusual for folks to find additional devices in their lives as a result of gift-giving. And more devices means more gadgets that need charging. Fortunately, Alogic has you covered. It now offers two chargers in its multi-coil wireless charging station range to keep your iPhone and all your accessories going.
MacX Video Converter Pro makes working with videos by you and others easy. Image: Digiarty
This video converter post is presented by Digiarty.
Digiarty has updated its MacX Video Converter Pro software for 4K ultra-high-definition video processing. Right now, you can get the improved product at a big discount — or even free — for a limited time. Plus, you get some additional free software, too.
Dr. Fone - Virtual Location (iOS) lets you easily spoof your iPhone GPS location. Photo: Wondershare
This iOS GPS spoofing post is presented by Wondershare, maker of Dr. Fone – Virtual Location (iOS).
People have been tricking their smartphone apps into thinking they’re somewhere else for a long time. That’s called global positioning system (GPS) spoofing. And while there are surely illegal reasons to do it, there are also plenty of legal ones.
Anyone addicted to Pokémon Go who just sprained their ankle or got snowed in knows what I’m talking about. You still gotta play. And when the game depends upon GPS — as a huge number of location-based augmented reality games do — you need your iPhone to indicate you actually got off the couch.
And the great thing is, whatever your reason for faking your GPS location with an iPhone, Dr. Fone – Virtual Location (iOS) now makes it easy to do, with no jailbreaking required. Alth0ugh Apple does not support GPS spoofing, location changing certainly isn’t just for Android smartphones anymore.
Totallee's clear cases for the iPhone 12 series preserve the device's beauty while they protect it. Photo: Totallee
This iPhone case post is presented by Totallee.
With iPhone prices rising to heights that make the devices more of a serious investment with each new model, those lucky enough to find themselves the proud owner of a new device had better protect it. That means putting it in a case. Some people hate that because it bulks up and obscures their sleek and beautiful new smartphone.
But your new case doesn’t have to look like it’s as protective as blast barriers and barbed wire. You could try the case that is almost like no case at all — the Totallee clear case for iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. The thin, flexible, transparent case is for anyone who wants to protect their brand-new iPhone while retaining its aesthetic.
Molekule's air purifiers come in a variety of sizes to handle different rooms. Photo: Molekule
This air purifier post is presented by Molekule.
If there was ever a year that cried out for clearing the air, it’s 2020. Many a pundit has called these 12 months “challenging” in many ways. This holiday season, with so many people spending most of their time at home, why not give yourself and others the gift of literally cleaned air? You can do that with a technologically advanced — and Apple HomeKit-compatible — Molekule air purifier, such as the Air Mini+. They’re on sale through Dec. 31.
Cult of Mac readers get 16% off at VIPkeysale.com for the holidays. Photo: MediaMZ
This software key post is presented by VIPkeysale.com.
It’s that time of year again. What time is that? Winter holiday time. Time to stay inside at home — whether from the cold or because of COVID-19 — and bask in the warm glow of your device screens. That’s especially fun and easy when VIPkeysale.com offers you (and all Cult of Mac readers) 16% off gaming and other software product keys.
And if you’re giving gifts this holiday season, sales like this one might just give you some extra reason for holiday cheer. Just remember to check out with your purchase on the website using the coupon code VIPMAC.
With VideoProc, your video editing tasks are covered. Image: Digiarty
This VideoProc Mac video editing post is presented by Digiarty.
When the holidays roll around, your impulse to make scads of digital videos and then doctor them up for friends and family may be stronger than ever this year. After all, lots of people will not see as many loved ones in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That makes it a good time to invest in fast, capable and easy-to-use video editing software at a great price. So rejoice, because Digiarty is offering Cult of Mac readers lifetime-use licenses for its VideoProc Mac editing and processing software at 60% off for Christmas.
This iCloud access post is presented by Tenorshare.
Tenorshare 4MeKey is a tool you can use on an iOS device to bypass iCloud activation lock without needing to key in an account password. The tool is useful when you have forgotten the password for the lock.
Locked out of your iPhone or iPad? Try Tenorshare 4uKey. Photo: Tenorshare
This passcode-bypass post is presented by Tenorshare.
It’s the ultimate nightmare: Your iPhone is disabled, and you can’t get it unlocked. Maybe you created a complex passcode that now slips your mind. Perhaps you want to sell an older device you stashed in a drawer for a while, and you guessed wrong on the passcode too many times. Or it could be another common problem: Your device won’t accept a passcode because it (or its screen) is disabled.
In any of those cases, Tenorshare 4uKey can help. We will discuss how this software can help you unlock a disabled iPhone so you can enjoy your phone’s features to the fullest, and educate you from start to finish about how you can use this tool to unlock your disabled iPhone without iTunes.
Hexnode will hold its first user conference, HexCon20, in the first week of December 2020. Image: Hexnode
This event post is presented by Hexnode.
Unified endpoint management provider Hexnode plans to host its first-ever global user conference, HexCon20, December 2 and 3. The online event, intended to bring together Hexnode users and partners, will feature an array of speakers and educational sessions covering every aspect of endpoint management, including Apple device management.
MNML iPhone cases are think, light and protective. Photo: MNML
This iPhone 12 case post is presented by MNML Case.
Those who upgrade to the new iPhone 12 series face a dilemma. Do they flaunt the gorgeous thing to the max, going without a case? Or do they protect the precious and pricey device like a responsible person, strapping on a protective covering that obscures it? Thanks to MNML, it’s hardly a hard choice anymore, because the company’s cases provide barely noticeable protection.
Totallee's new cases for iPhone 12 are thin, light and branding-free. Photo: Totallee
This iPhone case post is presented by Totallee.
When a new iPhone series comes out, a slew of accessories is sure to follow. So it is with Totallee, which just released its line of thin cases for iPhone 12 for people who like streamlined protection without the bulk. These are the cases for those who’d rather not have one, but don’t want to go caseless because not protecting your expensive new device would be reckless.
Right now you can get 30% off totallee iPhone cases on Amazon. Photo: totallee
This iPhone case post is presented by Totallee.
These days, you may be looking for ways to shop online rather than venturing out into the world. Here’s a good thing to shop for from the comfort and safety of home: Your iPhone needs protection and Totallee is offering its super-thin cases for 30% off at Amazon right now.
With massive amounts of storage, skyBox lets you take your streaming and sharing on the go. Photo: HyperAccessory
This portable storage post is presented by HyperAccessory.
If you’re a photographer, videographer or content creator who likes to travel light, leaving the laptop behind, we found a must-have storage device for you. HyperAccessory’s skyBox features all-in-one portable SSD storage with built-in wireless connectivity and universal compatibility. It will have you streaming and sharing media on the go with gusto.
Rip DVDs in almost any condition to many formats with MacX DVD Ripper Pro. Photo: Digiarty
This DVD copy and backup post is presented by Digiarty.
Many of us would love to say we long ago converted our stacks of DVDs to digital file formats, but … not so much. If you must know, our old DVDs are stashed in a closet. If you’re in the same boat, you might try MacX DVD Ripper Pro, a super-fast backup and ripping tool for Mac. It can handle discs in almost any condition and convert them to many formats for you to store and play on various devices while freeing up precious shelf or closet space. Even better, for a limited time you can even get it for free in the MacX DVD Ripper Pro giveaway.
Wondershare UniConverter, now in Version 12, lets you work with a multitude of media formats. Photo: Wondershare
This video conversion post is presented by Wondershare UniConverter.
Whether you love to make videos or just watch and share them, if you want them to be seen in virtually any format on practically any device, you need a good video-conversion tool. It might be time to try Wondershare UniConverter, which can convert any video to more than 1,000 different formats. Try the Mac-dedicated version for a taste of how easy and quick video conversion can be.
All Totallee iPhone accessories are on sale for Cult of Mac readers. Photo: Totallee
This iPhone accessories post is presented by Totallee.
Totallee is best known for its ultra-thin iPhone cases that add an extra layer of protection without adding bulk. However, the company offers a full lineup of accessories to help you get the most out of your iPhone, and now is the perfect time to grab some at a deep discount.
To make room for new inventory for the upcoming iPhone, Totallee is offering Cult of Mac readers 30% off all iPhone accessories with code CULT30. It’s valid until Sept. 25, 2020.
iMobie AnyFix can address scores of system problems that might plague your Apple device. Photo: iMobie
This iOS repair post is presented by iMobie AnyFix.
Apple hardware enthusiasts enjoy a lot of problem-free usage. That’s one of the reasons we love our gadgets. But occasionally things go wrong. When faced with a disabled device, the first instinct may be to seek professional repair help, or to hurl the thing at a wall. The good news is, neither action may be necessary. A tool like iMobie AnyFix can remedy more than 130 system issues with iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple TVs — with just a few clicks (and zero tech skills).